Sebastian Coe, the London 2012 Chairman, and London Mayor Boris Johnson today
drove home the message, with exactly two years to go, that the biggest
sporting event on the globe is coming to the capital.

Coe and Johnson, who had already made an early morning visit to the Olympic site in east London, arrived to face the world's media at St Pancras where they opened London 2012's flagship store.

And as the last call for the 10.25 to Paris was announced over the tannoy, the pair entered the fray to convey their latest Olympic message on this two-year countdown.

The irony - London had won the right to host the games from Paris in 2005 - had not been lost on Johnson.

"If anyone is thinking of travelling to France right now I think that they should hold on a minute," he said.

Now, five years on, the spotlight has been thrown on the Olympic Park, still very much a building site but definite work in progress all the same, as Johnson launched the next phase in the build-up to 2012: the campaign to find up to 70,000 volunteers for the Games.

Johnson said: "We have seen the venues at the Olympic Park and they are sprouting up on time and on budget.

"Now what we want is for people to sign up for July 2012."

Johnson was so eager to convey the message that the overall £9.3 billion outlined for the Games is well within budget that the Mayor even opined that there should be a "snap" Olympics right here and now.

In reality, work at the Olympic site continues apace. There are 700 seats being installed in the Olympic stadium every day. Further afield, 8,000 people will be recruited as London Ambassadors to help guide the millions of visitors around the city.

More than 1.4 million people have also registered an interest for tickets, which go on sale next year.

Meanwhile, Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy and ex-sprinter Michael Johnson will later mark the occasion by cycling and running on specially-laid tracks at the Olympic site.

Coe said: "There are two years to go until the Olympic Games begin and we want everyone to start planning their once in a lifetime experience in 2012.

"We are well on track - the venues are nearing completion and our plans are coming together."